inimitable
adjective
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How Should You Use inimitable?
Something that is inimitable is, literally, not able to be imitated. In actual usage the word describes things so uniquely extraordinary as to not be copied or equaled, which is why you often hear it used to praise outstanding talents or performances (or uniquely talented and incomparable individuals). (The less common antonym imitable describes things that are common or ordinary and could easily be replicated.) Inimitable comes, via Middle English, from the Latin adjective inimitabilis. Be careful not to confuse it with inimical or inimicable, two adjectives meaning “hostile” or “harmful”; those words come from a different Latin root.
Examples of inimitable in a Sentence
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
To portray Bruce Springsteen, Jeremy Allen White had to learn to walk, talk and wail like one of rock’s most inimitable icons.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
He’s been replaced by a golem (the inimitable Boris Karloff) with a singular, instantly recognizable redesign, brought to life in a hilltop castle by an intensely cinematic asset – lightning.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
What a rare and beautiful voice and an inimitable approach to songwriting.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inimitable
Cite this Entry
“Inimitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inimitable. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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inimitable
adjective
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